SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, March 9, 2020

Not Just a Mom... Self Care

Good morning and welcome to the 3rd installment of "Not Just a Mom"! First of all I am so blown away by how many of you ended up joining us last month. THANK YOU!!! Blogging is much more fun when you have a little community of women who are all in it together. I am looking forward to reading all of your posts for today about self care!

So self care is one of those things I look at a LOT differently now that I am a mom. I used to have the luxury of TIME to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn't realize what a luxury that was back then, but I sure do now!

Here are my favorite ways to take care of my self:

1. Exercise, exercise, exercise!! This is the one thing I try very hard to make a priority in my life. I know that I feel significantly better not only physically, but mentally, when I am able to get a good workout in. Each day this looks a little different for me. 
Some days, I wake up early enough to be at the gym and back before my kids wake up. 
Other days I take my kiddos to the gym with me and drop them off at the childcare (thank God for great gym childcare!!). Lil was just a little over a year old here!!
On the weekends, it is always a toss up. Sometimes the kiddos stay at home with Devin, sometimes I will bring one with me in the jogging stroller, and sometimes they will play at the park with Dev while I run around the park and then join them afterwards.

Exercise is the one thing I can do where I feel almost immediate results in my general well being. It is worth putting in that effort every single time!
2. Spending time with friends. It is so important to me to have time with my friends where I can "let off steam". Pre-kids my girlfriends and I used to get together multiple times a week. We would watch The Bachelor at someone's house on Mondays, grab dinner or get a manicure one other day during the week, and then meet up over the weekends. As time has gone on and we all have kids, we unfortunately don't get to see each other as often as we used to. We do make an effort to get together at least 3-4 times a month, but some months that may mean 3-4 times in one week, and then not again for several weeks. Regardless, I always feel better after a night with my friends and try to make an effort to see them as often as our schedules allow.

3. "Spa Nights at Home". My girlfriend Hannah and I both do this when our husbands travel/are working late. We will throw on a face mask, paint our nails, and then watch whatever TV we want that our husbands would NEVER watch with us. There is something so rejuvenating about having a "spa" night by yourself (well, kids are home but asleep.. so that counts!).
4. Read. I find that keeping my mind active and continually learning/growing is one of the best ways to take care of my mental health. We've all been there before where you're scrolling social media or watching TV and come away from it somehow feeling more drained. Maybe you feel "less than"? Maybe you just feel like you could be "doing more"? I find that I NEVER feel that way after reading a book. Reading a good book is my favorite way to unwind.
Thanks for reading along today! I hope you'll join us today and link up with your tips for self care. Next month we are focusing on our cleaning routine. Have a great Monday!


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9 comments :

  1. I am so with you on exercise! It’s my thing LOL. Great that you have such a wonderful tribe of women that you can meet up with so often :-)

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  2. Reading is huge for me! I also go to the gym 3-4 times a week.

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  3. I've just started taking a few group exercise classes (I need someone to tell me what to do) and it has helped so much! Especially the boxing class, it's so much fun!

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    1. Oh I would love to take a boxing class!! I bet that's a fun way to combat stress!

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  4. I am so nervous to use the gym's childcare. I still feel like Ella might be too young... but seeing your post makes me feel curious to try it! Love your recommendation for girl time. That is soo needed for everyone! Have a great week!

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    1. We started LG at 6 weeks! The sooner you get Ella started, the easier she will handle separation anxiety (at least in my experience). We went on tours of several gym childcare centers and some were NOT a good fit for us. I'd definitely recommend asking for a tour and talking to the childcare workers in charge of the children. Do you have a mom Facebook group in your area? I see a lot of moms who ask for recommendations of things like that locally.

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  5. I had taken such a backseat to my kids for so long that as they got older and needed less from me I had absolutely no idea what to do with my time. I couldn't even remember what I liked to do before I had kids and often wondered how I filled at that extra time before kids.

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